We Rise And We Fall And We Break
by DaLiza
Summary: After the team escaped from the Framework, Fitz left Simmons and SHIELD, believing that he deserved neither. But Fitz's mother and girlfriend aren't willing to give up on him. Post 4X17.


**AN: The title is from the song "Wait For It" from the musical "Hamilton."**

* * *

"Leo would have me tell you that he isn't here," Bonnie Fitz said when her son's girlfriend showed up at the front door of her Glasgow home. "But I'm not going to lie to you. It's nice to see you, Jemma!" Bonnie gave the young woman a hug. "Come inside."

Jemma Simmons followed Bonnie into the house. "It's nice to see you too, Mrs. Fitz."

"Mrs. Fitz? Oh, Jemma, you're not a teenager anymore. You can call me Bonnie." She led Jemma to a small living room and motioned to a plum couch. "Please sit down. How are you, dear?"

"I'm...fine," Jemma said, her voice sounding unconvincing even to her own ears. "I'm sorry that Fitz and I haven't been able to visit as much as we'd like."

"It's alright, dear. I know your work is very demanding. Can I get you a cup of tea?"

"That would be lovely, thank you."

While Bonnie went to the kitchen to prepare the tea, Jemma found herself examining the pictures of Fitz that adorned every wall. Some showed Fitz alone, some showed Fitz and his mother, and one showed Fitz and herself on the day they graduated from the academy. Two smiling, naive young scientists who knew that the world was no match for their combined brilliance. Jemma fought back tears as she looked at it.

"I'm so glad that Leo has you in his life," Bonnie said as she re-entered the room and saw Jemma looking at the graduation photo. "He was always so much smarter than the other kids at school. It made it nearly impossible for him to make friends. I used to worry that he would spend his life being alone and miserable...like he is now." Sighing, Bonnie poured the tea. "He hasn't told me what happened to prompt his sudden visit home, but I can tell that he's hurting. I hope you can help him."

Jemma managed a weak smile. "I hope so too."

"He's upstairs in his room. I'll let him know you're here."

* * *

"Jemma's here?!" An indignant Fitz sat up on his bed as the book he was reading fell to the floor. "Why did you let her in? I told you I didn't want any visitors!"

"This isn't any old visitor, Leo. This is the girl you've been best friends with since you were sixteen! The girl you almost died for! The girl who inspired you to ask me about engagement rings just a few months ago! What happened between you two that now you don't even want to see her?"

Fitz buried his head in his hands. How could he possibly tell his mother about the Framework? "It's...complicated, Mum."

"You always say that when you're not ready to tell me something. If you won't tell me, I'll just have to guess. Did she fall for someone else?"

"No."

"Did you?"

Fitz said nothing.

"Leopold James Fitz! How could you hurt Jemma like that?!"

"I didn't want to hurt her! Just the thought of hurting her makes me sick to my stomach!"

"So...you cheated on her by accident? Were you drunk?"

"I wasn't drunk! I was kidnapped and brainwashed and...and I know how ridiculous that sounds. Even if I told you the whole story, you wouldn't believe me."

"You were kidnapped and brainwashed?! I want to hear the whole story, Leo. And I'm not leaving this room until I do." She sat next to him on the bed.

Knowing that it was useless to argue with his mother, Fitz explained how the Framework had given him another life. He'd had a father who loved him enough to stick around, but taught him to be ruthless in his pursuit of success. He'd grown up with no friends and no compassion for others. His intellect caught the attention of Hydra, who recruited him when he was still a teenager. He'd risen through the ranks in Hydra and fallen in love with its leader, a woman he believed was perfect. But she wasn't a woman at all. She was an android who had stolen his memories and manipulated him so that he would do anything for her...even kill.

Bonnie was silent for several moments after her son had finished. Eventually she said, "Well...if this android woman brainwashed you... then nothing you did was really your fault."

"It is my fault because I helped Radcliffe create her!"

"Why did you two decide to make a beautiful robot in the first place? Was she some sort of...deluxe sex toy for all the lonely S.H.I.E.L.D. agents?"

Fitz felt his cheeks burning. "I wasn't building a sex toy! We made Aida so she could be a replacement for human agents in the field. I wanted to protect people...I wanted to protect Jemma."

"At least your intentions were noble."

"My intentions don't matter, only my actions! I did horrible things in the Framework…things I never thought I was capable of...and I _enjoyed_ them. I was a monster. Jemma and our friends will never be able to look at me the same way."

"So that's why you came home? You're running away from Jemma and your friends?"

"I don't deserve them."

Bonnie put her hands on her son's shoulders. "Leo, my darling boy, running away from the people you love...from the people who love you...it won't take away your pain. And it won't take away their pain either. Poor Jemma looks simply dreadful. She has dark circles under her eyes; I bet it's been a while since she's had a proper night's sleep."

"She's probably having nightmares. Because of me."

"You need to talk to her. Do you want to go downstairs, or shall I bring her up here?"

"Mum-"

"Do you really want to spend the rest of your life without her? Do you honestly think that will make either of you happy?"

"No, but-"

"Jemma's as stubborn as you are. She's not going anywhere until you talk to her. So I'll ask you again. Are you going downstairs, or am I bringing her here?"

Fitz sighed as he looked around his childhood bedroom. Jemma wouldn't appreciate the mess he'd made. "Alright. I'll go downstairs."

Bonnie kissed her son's forehead. "Good boy. I love you, Leo."

"I love you too, Mum."

* * *

"Oh, Fitz," Jemma said as she saw him walking down the stairs. "You look awful."

Fitz laughed. "Thanks. So do you." He stood awkwardly by the couch, not making eye contact with her.

"Fitz." Jemma took his hand in hers. "Please sit with me."

Fitz did as he was asked, but still couldn't bring himself to look at the woman he loved. "I don't expect you to forgive me. I don't expect anyone to forgive me because I'll never forgive-"

"Fitz, stop. I spent my whole flight here thinking about what I would say to you, so let me say it. You are not the man you were in the Framework. You are not the Doctor. You are Fitz, the man I love, and I want you to come back to S.H.I.E.L.D. with me."

"How can I go back? I tortured Daisy! I killed an innocent woman! I don't deserve to be an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D, and I don't deserve to be with you. You should find someone else, Jemma." Fitz wiped away a tear. "Find someone who isn't a monster."

"You are not a monster! And I don't want someone else. I want you, the brilliant, heroic scientist who wouldn't let me give up when I was dying from the Chitauri virus...who gave me the oxygen when we were trapped at the bottom of the ocean...who jumped through a hole in the universe to rescue me! I want the kind, caring man I fell in love with."

"I don't know if I'm that man anymore."

"Of course you are! Aida twisted your mind to make you do terrible things, but that doesn't erase all the good you've done and all the good you will do. You're still a hero. S.H.I.E.L.D. needs you, Fitz. _I_ need you." A flood of tears ran down her cheeks and her voice broke. "Come back to me."

Fitz finally looked at Jemma. Undone by the sight of her tears, he pulled her into his embrace. "I'm so sorry I caused you so much pain. I'm sorry I thought I loved Aida. I'm sorry for everything."

"I know."

"I don't think I can ever atone for the things I did, but I promise I'll spend the rest of my life trying. I love you, Jemma."

"I love you too."

They kept their arms wrapped around each other, neither one wanting to let go.

"Don't leave me ever again," Jemma pleaded.

"I won't," said Fitz. "I'll go back to S.H.I.E.L.D. with you, if that's what you want. But I'm not ready to go back to work. I should probably talk to a therapist," said Fitz.

Jemma smiled. "You'll definitely talk to a therapist. We both will. We'll get through this the way we always do."

Fitz pulled away slightly so he could look at Jemma's face. "Together?"

"Together."

* * *

One year later, Bonnie Fitz added another picture to her collection. She hung it next to the picture of Leo and Jemma's graduation.

The new picture also showed her son and Jemma. They were standing side by side, smiling together like they had since they were teenagers.

But Bonnie reminded herself that they weren't carefree teenagers anymore. They were adults with complicated, dangerous lives. They had struggled and suffered again and again, yet always found their way back to each other.

Bonnie stepped back to admire the new picture. Leo looked wonderful in his kilt, and Jemma was absolutely stunning in her wedding dress.

While the happy couple was on their honeymoon, Bonnie had secretly paid the down payment on that cottage in Perthshire they loved so much.

She couldn't wait to tell them.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Any comments are appreciated.**


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